Introduction : Comparing and conceptualising Nordic societal security

This introductory chapter establishes the importance of exploring the various ways that security has been conceptualised and acted upon in the Nordic region, with the goal to identify patterns of convergence and divergence. It reviews the ostensibly Nordic concept of ‘societal security’ and explains why some outside observers may assume commonalities amongst Nordic ways of thinking broadly about, and doing, security. One is the tendency to view Nordic security concepts as linked to the robust nature of the region’s social welfare systems, while another is the seemingly orchestrated way in which non-military forms of Nordic security developed after the Cold War. While these factors are certainly relevant, the chapter also charts likely lines of divergence to be investigated by the chapters in this volume. It notes varying interpretations and translations of the societal security concept, different perceptions of the threat environment, and heterogeneity in the way Nordic countries committed to international institutions and military alliances. The chapter then sketches the analytical framework of the book and introduces the contributions.NordSTEV